Time Team experts dig Bitterley village gardens

Archaeologists from Channel Four's Time Team history programme have been digging in a Shropshire village in a bid to uncover its past.

Tony Robinson and his team have opened more than 20 trenches at Bitterley near Ludlow, including many inside villagers' gardens, with the help of children from Bitterley CE Primary School.

So far medieval pottery and coins have been unearthed during the digging, which was believed to be finishing today.

Villager Richard Osborne, 39, was excited to welcome television experts into his garden yesterday.

He said: "We've had children from the school here digging under the supervision of the experts and we've found some lovely bits of medieval pottery that we hope will be featured on the show.

"They will film here for a total of three days but then we gather there will be little bits of filming after that too."

Mr Osborne added: "They think this house is relevant and worth digging as I have previously found a King John silver penny dating back to 1205 to 1209 lying on the lawn.

"When I found it I thought I had made my fortune, but I now know it's worth about £40 so we'll keep it as a nice heirloom."

Signs marking the test pits have been placed around the village, which was bustling yesterday with film crews carrying walkie-talkies, busy schoolchildren and interested ramblers.

Television archaeologist Mick Aston has toured the test pits, with some villagers holding outdoor tea parties for their Channel Four visitors.

Lesley Cottell, 69, from Clee Stanton Road, said: "I have never seen the place so busy as all we have here is a church, a school and a village hall.

"It's quite interesting to have it here in our village and we just don't know what they're going to find."

Mrs Cottell added: "They are digging there because a guy who goes round with a metal detector as a hobby found a pot of gold near his house a few months back."

The television crew is using the primary school as its main base during the filming.